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Question: Name one awesome feature film that
showcases entrepreneurship. Even if it's not completely accurate
to the hardships of the startup journey, what about that movie is
a true takeaway?

Forrest Gump

"Although it is historical fiction, Forrest Gump is one of my
favorite inspirational movies that has entrepreneurial ties. My
takeaway is that everyone has challenges that they have to
overcome in life, but how you respond to them is what separates
the people who succeed from those who don't. Also, it is
important to persevere and take advantage of unique opportunities
presented to you."

"I always watch Twister with a sense of awe. Yes, it's
fiction, but the idea that you believe so much in a solution to
risk life and limb to get it out there is inspiring. Throughout
the film, they continually test and adapt the solution until it
finally works. I may not be putting my solution in front of a
tornado, but it's that level of dedication I'm striving
towards."

"This movie talks about Coco Chanel and her journey to
starting her company. The true takeaway is that you never know
what's going to work in your business, and that sometimes
starting with hats will lead to perfume or vice versa. Being
uncompromising about your tastes will also lead to having a
strong brand."

"Zoolander contains the best entrepreneurship wisdom I know:
"What is this? A center for ants?...The building has to be at
least... three times bigger than this!" It's a great lesson in
remembering your dreams should be at least three times bigger
than what you originally thought -- and that they'll be at least
three times as much work!"

"Dave is a classic Kevin Kline movie where he stands in as
the President. As the chief, he needs to lead a massive
organization: he has to find his own leadership style, rally a
team and make compromises on his vision. The most relevant
takeaway: he's successful specifically because he has an outside
opinion. Startup success relies on being open-minded and
re-examining the way things are done."

"No, I'm not encouraging or condoning anyone who commits
fraud, violates SEC regulations, or acts like a sociopath.
However, that does not mean there aren't some great things for
entrepreneurs in the movie. One positive takeaway from Boiler
Room is Seth's relentless hustle and scrappiness. He just crushes
through problems (both good and bad) and get's stuff done!"

"From the greatest book ever written, there are lots of movie
adaptations, but the 1972 version with Sophia Loren is best. What
better representation of an entrepreneur than an idealist who
sets out to revive some important value in the world while the
world thinks he's crazy? Through a series of entrepreneurial
"adventures." he comes to greater realizations about life, love,
meaning and value."

"A film I particularly enjoyed is called Startup.com, which
chronicles the short history of the failed website govWorks.com.
This site was created to provide citizens an easy way to pay
traffic tickets to municipal governments, among other things. The
film teaches you that you can’t launch a business based solely on
an idea; you must do thorough research it to see if it’s viable
and can last."

"Andy Dufrense is an entrepreneur, even if it's not obvious:
he grows a small tax preparation business inside prison walls
into a library and education system into a full-fledged
successful prison break. The scene that sticks with me is when
Dufrense finds out that his letter writing campaign has paid off
— he responds that he's going to write even more letters, just
like a good founder would."

"Okay, so what the main character does throughout the movie
isn't exactly legal, but the entrepreneurial spirit in this movie
is still very present. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the kind of man
that can think up a new idea on the spot and execute it with
complete confidence -- a quality many entrepreneurs use every
day."

"Tom Hanks' character, Chuck Noland, in the movie Cast Away
may have been a FedEx employee, but he's got the heart and hustle
of an entrepreneur. He didn't have money to throw at problems
while stranded on the island and had to rely on coming up with
creative solutions to survive. I also appreciate that he was
customer-centric to his core -- saving a package to deliver after
he made it home."

"In this David vs. Goliath story based on true events,
entrepreneur/inventor Robert Kearns spends years in courtrooms
fighting the giants of the auto industry when they steal his
technology for intermittent windshield wipers. It shows closely
the unfair power imbalance that exists between the big companies
and small entrepreneurs who sell to them. There is much to be
learned from Kearns' story."

"Your great idea will strike in the midst of a challenge.
Classic Diane Keaton, career-driven new mom in the '80s, quits
her demanding job to focus on a baby. While in the midst of her
breakdown, she discovers an unserved market with a huge demand in
natural baby food. The lesson to take away is that opportunities
are everywhere -- if you're paying attention!"

""You know what it takes to sell real estate? It takes brass
balls to sell real estate," is one of the best movie quotes for
entrepreneurs. It does take "brass balls" to handle critics,
setbacks, and customers. Everything is sales, and this movie
reminds us that "coffee is for closers" and "ABC" really means
"Always be closing." With confidence and closing, you will have a
successful startup."

The Young Entrepreneur Council
(YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised
of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership
with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual
mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and
grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library
and email lessons.